PODCAST · science
Biomes
by Dr. Ruairi Robertson
As a human being, you are not a single organism but a thriving ecosystem home to trillions of invisible, living microbes. These microbial jungles within you and upon you are critical for your health and survival and may influence everything from your risk of cancer to your sexual attractiveness. In this podcast series (Biomes), Dr. Ruairi Robertson explores the fascinating new developments in our understanding of the human microbiome and talks to leading scientific experts around the world about the incredible ways microbes affect your body, from belly to brain.
Episodes
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Vaginal Biomes | Prof. Doug Kwon | Season 3, Ep. 7
Some amazing evidence now shows that the vaginal microbiome can influence the risk of a woman giving birth prematurely and influence her risk of acquiring HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. This week, I speak with Prof. Doug Kwon all about this and about the evidence for probiotic or...
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Microbiome Myths | Profs Jens Walter and Alan Walker | Season 3, Ep. 6
Even though the microbiome field is very exciting, it is also unfortunately full of plenty of myths and hyperbole. It is important that we discuss these myths. In Episode 6, I speak to the two best Microbiome Myth Busters in the world, who take us through the inaccuracies that are prevalent in...
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CRISPR and gene editing biomes | Dr. Carlotta Ronda | Season 3, Ep. 5
Gene editing tools such as CRISPR are allowing scientists and medics to get rid of devastating genetic conditions, however they can also be used on microbes, meaning they could be used to alter the human microbiome. Dr. Carlotta Ronda is investigating how to gene edit microbiomes to benefit human...
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Ultraprocessed foods and the gut microbiome | Dr. Benoit Chassaing | Season 3, Ep. 4
Ultra-processed foods contain lots of additives to help with their shelf life. Emulsifiers are one type of additive included within many ultra-processed foods such as mayonnaise, chocolate, ice-cream etc. However, new research suggests that these emulsifiers may have a detrimental effect on the…
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Breastmilk Biomes | Dr. Meghan Azad | Season 3, Ep. 3
Humans can survive on human milk for at least the first 6 months of life yet surprisingly little has been researcher about this human superfood. Human milk contains prebiotic sugars, antibodies and live microbes, all of which can influence the gut microbiome of babies. I speak with Dr. Meghan…
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Artificial sweeteners and the gut microbiome | Dr. Jotham Suez | Season 3, Ep. 2
Increasingly, dietary sugar is being replaced by non-caloric sweeteners in our diets. But what effects do these sweeteners have on our health? Only last year, the World Health Organisation categorized the sweetener aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans", yet lots of evidence suggest that...
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Intro to Season 3 | Dr. Ruairi Robertson | Season 3, Ep. 1
Welcome back to Season 3 of Biomes! This season will include some even more fascinating discussions on the latest developments in human microbiome research. Dr. Ruairi Robertson will speak to some of the world’s leading microbiome researchers about everything from artificial sweeteners and the…
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Season 2, Ep. 6: Infection Biomes | Prof. Brett Finlay
Infectious diseases have largely been replaced by chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer in the Western world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that humans are still at significant risk from microbial-diseases. In this episode, Dr. Ruairi Robertson speaks with…
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Season 2, Ep. 5: Fungal Biomes | Prof. Marie Claire Arrieta
When you hear the phrase ‘gut microbiome’, you most often think about bacteria. However, a huge proportion of your intestinal microbes are viruses, archaea and fungi. These other microbes however, have been studied in much less detail and we know less about what they are doing to your body. In…
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Season 2, Ep. 4: Cancer Biomes | Prof. Wendy Garrett
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and cancer deaths worldwide and its rates are increasing in many countries around the world, especially in younger adults. Emerging evidence points to a role of certain gut microbes in the progression of colorectal cancer by acting as toxins to...
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Season 2, Ep. 3: Fermented Food Biomes | Prof. Paul Cotter
Kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi… fermented foods such as these have suddenly appeared on the shelves and menus around the world. Much of this is due to our increasing knowledge about our gut microbiomes. But what is the scientific evidence behind fermented foods? Do they actually change our…
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Season 2, Ep. 2: Building Biomes | Prof. Jack Gilbert
Did you know that humans emit about 37 million bacteria every hour? Your entire surroundings, from the air you breathe to the walls of your house, are populated by a vast mixture of microbes. But to what extent to these microbes colonize you and affect your health? In this episode, Dr. Ruairi...
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Season 2, Ep. 1: Intro to Season 2 | Dr. Ruairi Robertson
Welcome back to Season 2 of Biomes! This season will include some even more fascinating discussions on the latest developments in human microbiome research. Dr. Ruairi Robertson will speak to some of the world’s leading microbiome researchers about everything from fermented foods to cancer...
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Ep. 7: Allergic Biomes | Prof. Susan Lynch
In this final episode of the series, I speak to Prof. Susan Lynch from University of California San Francisco. We discuss the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that early life exposure to infections may protect against allergy and asthma, and how this may be relevant to the early life gut...
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Ep. 6: Evolutionary Biomes | Professor Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello
Through our diets, hygiene practices, overuse of antibiotics and other aspects of our Westernised diets, we are losing much of the vast diversity of our gut microbiomes. In this episode for World Microbiome Day, I speak to Prof. Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello who has conducted fascinating work on…
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Ep. 5: Baby Biomes | Dr. Lindsay Hall
In this episode I speak to Dr. Lindsay Hall to studies the gut microbiomes of babies. She examines how preterm babies are more prone to infections and how we may be able to optimise their gut microbes in order to prevent and fight infections. We discuss the details of babies' immune systems, gut...
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Ep. 4: Banking Biomes | Dr. Majdi Osman
Fecal transplants are one of the hottest, if not stomach-curling, topics in the field of the microbiome at the moment. They are extremely successful treatments for recurrent C. Diff infection. In this episode I speak with Dr. Majdi Osman who is the Clinical Programme Director of OpenBiome, a...
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Ep. 3: Probiotic Biomes | Professor Gregor Reid
In this episode of Biomes, I speak with Professor Gregor Reid of the the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute, one of the foremost researchers on probiotics. We discuss his research into UTIs, preterm birth, probiotic controversies and the future of beneficial...
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Ep. 2: Brains and Biomes | Professor Ted Dinan
Have you ever had a gut feeling? Or butterflies in your stomach? Fascinating evidence now shows us that our intestines and brains and intricately linked through a number of physical and biochemical pathways and that our gut microbes are critical to these interactions. In this episode of Biomes, I...
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Ep. 1: An Introduction to the Biomes Podcast | Dr. Ruairi Robertson
Welcome to the Biomes Podcast! As a human being, you are not a single organism but a thriving ecosystem home to trillions of invisible, living microbes. These microbial jungles within you and upon you are critical for your health and survival and may influence everything from your risk of cancer…
more
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
As a human being, you are not a single organism but a thriving ecosystem home to trillions of invisible, living microbes. These microbial jungles within you and upon you are critical for your health and survival and may influence everything from your risk of cancer to your sexual attractiveness. In this podcast series (Biomes), Dr. Ruairi Robertson explores the fascinating new developments in our understanding of the human microbiome and talks to leading scientific experts around the world about the incredible ways microbes affect your body, from belly to brain.
HOSTED BY
Dr. Ruairi Robertson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Biomes have?
Biomes currently has 20 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Biomes about?
As a human being, you are not a single organism but a thriving ecosystem home to trillions of invisible, living microbes. These microbial jungles within you and upon you are critical for your health and survival and may influence everything from your risk of cancer to your sexual attractiveness. In...
How often does Biomes release new episodes?
Biomes has 20 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Biomes?
You can listen to Biomes on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Biomes?
Biomes is created and hosted by Dr. Ruairi Robertson.
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